Why Do We Call Good Friday "Good"? There was no darker day than the day we killed our loving King. So how on Earth can we call the worst day “good”? I think the only way to be satisfied in answering that is to know our God as both supremely loving and utterly holy. Never do you see God’s love and holiness so perfectly displayed in one moment than on the cross. Jesus Became Your Sin 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Jesus died for your sin, but more than that Jesus also became your sin. Some of us are angry people. Some of us are jealous. Some of us are perverted. Some of us are arrogant. Some of us are materialistic. Some of us are gossips. Most of us are all of these. Jesus became the worst of what we are. Think about that! Think of your worst sin. Jesus went to the cross for you and all of your sin -- for me and all my sin. That’s why it’s good news. That’s why it’s Good Friday. “He was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5). Take some time to meditate on these great truths, church family. And look forward to reflecting together -- online again -- on Friday, 7pm and celebrating together on Sunday at 10:30am. Grace and peace. Tim
You're such an encouragement to me, Hilltown! The Church outshines any other community in our world in moments like this. Your joy, faithfulness, and selfless care this past week has been wonderful. Here are some quick updates: 1. Last Sunday around 250+ of us (and others?) logged on to our YouTube livestream . We recognize it's not the ideal --- it's a temporary compromise --- but thank the Lord for the technology to connect! 2. Our church directory could not have come at a better time. A number of you are using that to pray, call, and encourage others. Keep that up! If you'd like a pdf copy, I'm happy to email you one. 3. We launched a new Facebook Group called Quarantine Like a Rock Star Parent to help parents share ideas, ask for prayer, be encouraged to make this once-in-a-lifetime season count. 4. Our small groups and others are connecting on Google Hangouts, Zoom, Skype, and other online platforms. 5. We continue to update our COVID-19 page ... where you can find the live stream on Sundays, access online giving, and now you're able to complete a form notifying us of any needs you may have or a willingness to meet the needs of the body. All updates during this time are available at hilltown.church/cv . Greg has been a great example of someone not given to panic. I asked him to share an encouragement, particularly for our husbands and dads as we seek to lead well in our homes this season. CHECK IT OUT HERE Love to you all, Hilltown. See you online again Sunday at 10:30am! Tim
Hilltown family, Our elders and leaders continue to monitor the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) and its potential impact on our church family and ministry programs. We have several health professionals in our church who are keeping us up to date with the latest from the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), and we are following all the recommended actions the CDC gives for churches and community organizations. At this time, there are no known cases or connections to any Hilltowners, so we will continue to worship the Lord together, and all mid-week programs and Bible studies will go on as scheduled. Here are a few precautions we are taking to ensure the cleanliness of our facility and the health of our community. What we are Doing as Staff and Volunteers 1. Bob Hardin and our facility team have purchased more effective cleaning products. 2. We are disinfecting every surface (doors, tops of pews, counters, etc.). 3. Several moms are performing a deep-clean of our nurseries. What we Recommend for our Entire Church Family 1. If you know or suspect you are sick (fever, cold, or otherwise), stay home. 2. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. 3. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available. 4. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, especially with unwashed hands. 5. Sneeze and cough into your elbow rather than your hands. 6. And for all of us huggers … Just a nod or a wave will do. I have thanked the Lord often for the multi-generational make-up of our church. Times like this remind us to take extra action to honor and care for the youngest and oldest of our church family especially. If you are willing to volunteer to help clean over the coming weeks, please contact Bob Hardin at bob@hilltown.church . In the meantime, pray for the Lord’s mercy and for His Church to respond in faith and compassion rather than fear or inaction. Grace and peace. Tim
Mission-Driven Hospitality I had an inspiring conversation with one of our church-planting missionaries about how they connect with their neighbors in order to begin potentially eternal relationships. As we saw earlier in the year , biblical hospitality includes those we don’t yet know. And since it’s helpful to have some practical ideas ready, below is a simple list to start. What other ideas would you add to this list? Shoot me an email with your thoughts! 7 Ways to Connect with Neighbors (Even if You Don’t Have Any) 1. Bake or grow extras and pass them out (cookies, flowers, fresh basil ... yummm). 2. Walk your dog (or yourself!) at the same time and place. 3. Invite both neighbors and friends from church for a dinner party or the next “big game”. 4. Spent time in front rather than behind your house. 5. Become a “regular”. Go to the same ___ (hair dresser, barber, diner, deli). Learn names and start to ask personal questions. 6. Attend your neighbors’ parties. Well… when you’re invited. 7. Ask your neighbor for help, borrow a tool, or grab a cup of sugar when you need it. Pick just one of these ideas and try it out this week. Let me know how it goes. Grace and peace. Tim
Keep up the great work, Hilltown! I’ve heard some delightful stories of hospitality within our church family these past few weeks …
Some of us seem to be born with a hospitality gene. Others pick it up by watching people who do it well. If hosting isn't something second-nature to you yet, consider a few of the following tips. 1. Never turn down help. Make it a potluck affair, and let your guests surprise you! There's a real beauty in that. Delegate the parts of the meal that stress you out, and focus on what you do well. 2. Don't Perform Your goal isn't to welcome people into the life and home you want them to think you have, but the one you actually have. So resist the pressure to perform. Relax. You're home doesn't need to be perfect. The food doesn't need to come from a Michelin-star-winning recipe. Yes, it's loving to cook that killer dish you know they'll enjoy. But do it to serve, not to impress. Maybe just order a pizza. 3. Make as much ahead as possible. We've been there. You're anxiously stirring the pot so it doesn't burn to the bottom when you hear a car door close and realize you're still in your pajamas. Or your friends arrive and you're still dodging all around them, trying to convince them you're listening as you grab that "one last thing". Find ways to minimize your emotional busyness. Busyness kills intimacy. 4. Sit next to people not over them. If you are hosting someone younger (by age or by spiritual maturity) don’t seek to mentor, teach or parent them - unless they ask you to. You don’t want your guests to walk away like they just left an intervention or seminar. Seek to know, understand, and appreciate them without needing to be known, understood, or appreciated yourself. You already have that in Christ! 5. Practice Gospel Hospitality. This will take practice. Worldly hospitality seeks to impress people with material stuff. Gospel hospitality seeks to impress people with a gospel-centered life. This is not door-to-door evangelism but open-door evangelism. - Be you and pray before the meal like you always do. - Be excited about your church or ministries you’re involved in. - Be sincere when being positive and encouraging. - Be vulnerable and transparent showing that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. - Be both grateful and thankful. Find moments of gratitude in a busy, messy, loud, and selfless day of hosting. - Be willing to sacrifice habits for hospitality. - Be willing to sacrifice white carpets for the opportunity to share the gospel.
Throughout the month of January we'll be sharing reflections, testimonies, and tips on biblical hospitality. We’ve been looking forward to this new year and new focus on biblical hospitality . But what do you think of when you hear the word “ Hospitality ”? Biblical Hospitality is Not “Entertaining” What we tend to think of is stuff like warmly lit rooms, beautifully plated foods, and cool place settings. But do you know how many times God mentions those things when He talks about hospitality in Scripture? Exactly zero. So what does He talk about? And is it possible we’ve confused hospitality with entertaining? Biblical Hospitality is to Bring the Outsider In The word for hospitality in New Testament Greek is philoxenia and means “the love of strangers” (like in Hebrews 13:2 ). Even in the Old Testament, God regularly reminded His people to “treat the stranger as a native among you” and “love him as yourself” ( Leviticus 19:34 ). In other words, there’s a movement implied. Those who were once outside the community are brought inside the community. In a way, it’s a snapshot of the gospel---we who were once far from God are brought to His table. Biblical Hospitality is to Deepen Friendships It’s fun to host your friends! Mary, Martha, and Lazarus used to host Jesus, who had become a good friend ( John 11:5 ). And Peter talked to the church about joyfully hosting “one another” ( 1 Peter 4:9 ). So even though we aim to avoid being clique-ish or exclusive, we certainly don’t want to stop hosting those we’ve come to love in order to love them more. Biblical Hospitality is a Command It’s noteworthy that Paul’s command to “show hospitality ” is right on par with “love one another”, “serve the Lord”, and “be constant in prayer” ( Romans 12:13 ). It’s also remarkable that hospitality is not a suggestion for church leadership, but a prerequisite ( 1 Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1 ). Goal: 2x This Month, Host Those You Don’t Yet Know Our primary goal this January is to open our homes at least twice to those we don’t yet know (or don’t yet know well). That’s achievable! That’s measurable. And that’s biblical. For Kelli and I, one of our favorite things to do is combine all of this. We host someone we don’t yet know along with a good friend who can help break the ice, maybe even help serve, and bring the other in. How do you plan to go after this goal this month? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Just reply here and send me a quick note! Grace and peace. Tim